Danger-signal for automobiles.



0. HERBMANN. DANGER SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 8112112, 1907 903,? 1 9.

Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

0'. HERRMANN. DANGER SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED 8112112, 1907.

iPatentd Nov; 10, 1908.

o 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

mi, or snows STATION, new roan.

OSCAR EERBM DAFEGETEl-fiIGNAL FOB AUTOMOBEIQES.

lilo. $63,715). Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 10, 1908.

September it, leer. Serial No. 392,516.

Application filed To all whom may concern: 7 Be it known that l, ()soan l-lnnnrmfsn, a citizen oi the United States, residing at which is arranged in outer upper and lower grooves or ways l. The casing 1s provi ed at the top and bottom of the upper compart- Brown Station, in the county of Ulster and ment with the grooves or ways 4, interinec0 @tate of New Yorlghave invented a new and diate grooves or ways 5 and inner grooves useful Danger Signal tor Automobiles, of or ways 6. The inner grooves or ways 6 which the following is specification. receive a sign 7, designed to be constructed of The invention relates to a danger signal anysuitable materialandprovidedwith letters for the backs of automobiles to prevent rear spelling the word stop, as clearly illusend collisions. trated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, but any The object of the present invention is to other suitable word of warning may be emimprove the construction of si nals, and to ployed, as will be readily understood. provide a simple and comparatively inex- The sign, which is in the nature of a transpensive device, designed for use on the backs parency to enable it to be illuminated at of automobiles to prevent rear end collisions, night, is covered and uncovered by a reand-adapted to be exposed at the will of ciprocatable slide 8, mounted in the intermethe operator and capable of, displaying an diate grooves or ways 5 and provided with illuminated signal at night. alternately arranged openings 9 and im- A :turtherobject of the invention is to properforate opaque portions, and slidable back ride a signal of his character having illuand forth to carry the openings to and from minating means ads; to automatically the letters of the sign to display and cover lighted when the signal is displayed, and the same. The front plate 8 protects the ca able of being cut out during the day time slide and the sign, which is spaced from the wl en a light is unnecessary. rear wallof the casing and from a series of -i fith these and o her objects in view, the electric lights 10 for illuminating the sign at invention consists in the construction and night. novel combinatio rts herein er fully The slide is provided with a depending described, illusti .d the 160115 panying extension 11, operating in a longitudinal slot drawings, and pointed out in the claims 12 of the partition 2 and located at a point hereto appended; it being understood that intermediate of the ends of the slide, which various changes in the form, proportion, size is normally held in its closed osition by a and minor details of construction, within the coiled spring 13. The coile spring 13, scope of the claims, may be resorted to withwhich is housed within the lower space or out departing Err i the spirit or sacrificing compartment of the casing, is located at one any of the advent no invention. end of the latter, its outer end being secured In the drawings :--nigure 1 is an elevation to the adjacent end wall and its inner end oi an automobile danger signal, constructed being connected with the extension 11. The in accordance with nvention. Fig. 2 is extension 11 is provided with a perforation a transverse sectional Lew, taken substan- 14-, into which the inner end of the spring is tially on the line w-x of Fig. 1. 3 is hooked, and the end wall of the casing is a longitudinal sectional view, taken substanprovided with an eye 15 to receive the other tially on the line i q of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 end of the coiled spring. The spring 0per-' is a detail view o the reciprocatory slide. ates'to return the slide automatically to its Fig. 5 is a similar view of the sign. closed position, withitsimperforate portions Like numerals of reference designate corcovering the .etters of the sign after the latresponding parts in all the figures of the ter has been displayed and the slide is free drawings. to move.

1 designates an oblong casing, designed to The slide is reciprocated to display they be constructed of sheet metal, or other suitsign by means of a pneumatically operated able material and provided with a horizontal piston 16, connected at one end with the expartition 2, dividing the easing into upper tension at the lower portion thereof, and and lower compartments or spa ces, as rovided at its inner end with a head, which clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 of the is arranged within a cylinder 17. lhe cyldrawin s. The casing is provided at the inder extends longitudinally of the casing,

front or its upper portion with a transparent bottom with'horiof glass, or other suitable material,

suitably secured to and is provided at the aontal lugs 18, which are the bottom of the casing, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 ot the drawings. The cylinder is pro- 'vided at its outer end with an inlet port, to which is connected a flexible tube 19, provided with a compressible bulb QO and designed to extend from the back of an automobile to a point within easy reach of thc chaufi'eur. The casing is provided at the top with suitable lugs or cars 21, adapted for the reception of screws, or other suitable fastening devices for attaching the signal to the back of an automobile in a conspicuous position, and in practice it is designed to be made of a size to enable it to be clearly distinguished and read at a considerable distance, in order to afford automobiles in rear of the one displaying the signal ample opportunity to stop or pass around the same.

When the bulb is compressed, the air is forced through the tube or pipe 19, and the piston is actuated to move the slide longitudinally of the casing a distance sulticient to uncover the letters by carrying the openin s 9 to the same. The reciprocation of the slit e is limited by the length of the slot 12, the extension being carried from one end wall of the same to the other end wall thereof, which results in distending the coiled spring. As soon as the bulb is released, the slide is moved in the opposite direction by the coiled sprin the compressed air escaping from the cylinc er back to the bulb. The cylinder is equipped with an inwardly opening air inlet valve 22, located beyond the limit of the inward movement of the piston and adapted to permit free inlet of air when the bulb is not compressed. The compression of air within the cylinder by the operation of the bulb holds the valve 22 tightlyclosed and prevents leakage.

Instead of compressing the bulb by hand, any suitable means may be employed for enabling the air to be com pressed by the foot of the operator.

The electric lights are arranged in a circuit having wires 23 and 24, extending from a battery 2-} to terminals 26 and 27, at which is mounted circuit breaker 28. The circuit lneakcr consists of a spring, connected at one end to the terminal 27 and having its other end spaced from the terminal 26, when the letters of the si n are covered by the slide. The ring is located within the path ol the extension 11 and is carried into contact with the terminal 26 by the slide, when the l attcr is operated. This operates to close the circuit and light the electric lights,4and thereby illuminate the sign for enabling the same to be seen at night. The slide is provided with a beveled or ll'lCllllUlxMlgG 29,

which is arrangtal to engage and actuate the circuit breaker. Various othcr'nre'ans, how'- ever, may be employed for enabling the slide to close the circuit and lightthe electric lights when the signal is operated. The'ciron it is also equipped with a switch 30, adapted to be opened in the day time to cut out the electric lights, when it is mmccessary to display an illuminated signal. The electric lights, which are mounted on the back of the casing, are connected with the wire 24., which has a b 'anch 94 extending to the terminal 26.

The signal besides being adapted'for use on the back of an automobile to prevent rear end collisions may be advantageously employed in a variety of other positions for various purposes.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, z-

1. A signal of the class described comprising a sign having the individual cha 'acters thereof separated by intervening spaces, a slide provided with alternately arranged openings, and opaque portions corresponding in size with the said characters and spaces of the sign, said slide being located in front of the sign and movable longitudinally to cover and uncover the characters of the sign to expose and conceal the latter, a spring arranged to move the slide in one direction, and manually operable n'ieans including a cylinder and a piston for moving the slide in the opposite direction-arul for holding the same at the limit of its movement in such direction.

2. A signal of the class described comprising a sign, a re'ciprocatable slide arranged to cover and uncover the sign and provided with an extension, a spring for moving the slide in one direction, a cylinder, a piston' operating in the cylinder and arranged to actuate the extension of the slide for movmg the same in the opposite direction, and

means for producing pressure in the cylindcr to actuate the piston.

A signal of, the class described compris ing a sign, a reciprocatable slide arranged to cover and uncover the sign and provided with an extension, and operating mechanism for actuating the slide including a cylinder, a piston operating within the cylinder and arranged to actuate the extension of the slide, and means for producing pressure within thecylinder to actuate the piston and for holding the slide at the limit of its movement in one direction.

4:. A signal of the class described comprising a sign, a slide arranged to cover and uncover the sign and provided with an extension, a spring connected with the slideior moving the same in one direction, a cylinder, :1 piston operating in the cylinder and arranged to actuate the extension of the slide for moving the same in theopposite direction, and'pneumatic means including a cone,

pressible bulb for producing pressure within the cylinder for actuating the piston.

A signal of the class described comprising a sign, a reciprocatable slide arranged to lll) i the illumination of the the slide, for moving the same in one direction, and operating mechanism including a cylinder, and a piston operating in the cyllnder and arranged to actuate the extension of the slide for moving the same in the op posite direction. 6. A signal of the class described compns ing a sign, a reciprocatable slide arranged to cover and uncover the sign and provided- With an extension, a spring connected With the slide for moving the same in one direction, operating mechanism for movin the slide in the opposite direction, and ill umi-i hating means including an electric light, a circuit, and a circuit breaker consisting of a spring arranged in the path of the extension and actuated by the same to close the circuit. i 7. Atsignal of the class described comprising a casing provided with ways and having a slot, a sign located within the casing, a reciprocatable slide arranged in the said ways and having an extension operating in the said slot, which limits the movement of the slide, and means for actuating the slide to display and cover the sign. 8. A signal of the class described comprising a sign, a slide for covering and uncovering the sign, manually operable operating mechanism for actuating the slide and for holding the same at the limit of its movement in one direct-ion, and means operable by the operating mechanism for controlling sign 9. A.signal of the class described comprising a sign, a slide arranged to cover and uncover the same, manually operable means for actuating the slide and for holding the same at the limit of its movement in one direction, a circuit, an electric light arranged in the circuit for illuminating the sign, and means operated by the movements of the slide for opening and closing the circuit.

10. A signal of the class described comprising a sign, a slide arranged to cover and uncover the same, manually operable means for actuating the slide and for holding the same at the limit of its moveinent in one diwith the extension for rection, a circuit, an electric light arranged in the circuit for illuminating the sign, a circuit breaker arranged in the path of the slide and adapted to be closed by the saine.

' 11. A signal of the class described comprising a sign, a slide arranged to cover and uncover the sign, manually operable means for actuatin the slide and for holding the same at the imit of its movement in vone'direction, a circuit having spaced terminals, an

electric light arranged in the circuit for illuminating the sign, and a circuit breaker; consisting of a spring connected with one of the terminals of the circuit and normally spaced from the other terminal and arranged to be carried into the slide. 12. A signal of the class described comprising a casing, a sign mounted Within the casing, a slide arranged to cover and uncover the si n and having an extension, means connected with the extension for actuating the slide, a circuit having spaced terminals, a plurality of electric lights connected with the circuit and mounted within the casing for illuminating the characters of the sign, a circuit breaker connected with one of the terminals of the circuit and arranged to be carried into contact with the other terminal thereof by the extension of the slide.

13. A signal of the class described comprisin a sign, a reciprocatable slide arrange to cover and uncover the sign and provided With an extension, means arranged in the path of the extension for limiting the movement of the slide, a spring connected moving the slide in one direction, operating mechanism including a cylinder, and a piston arranged to actu-, ate the extension for mo ling the slide in the opposite direction, and illuminating means embodying an electric light, a circuit, and a circuit breaker arranged in the path of the extension and actuated by the same to close the circuit.

In testimony, that I claim the foregolng contact with the same by as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

OSCAR HERRMANN. Witnesses B. B. Zrrrnnr, ()T'ro GnnnNnnnci-m. 

